Every summer, Princess Booker traded the grey skies of London for Jamaica’s Nine Mile — and a grandfather the rest of the world called Bob Marley. Raised in London, author Princess Booker spent summers at the home of her grandmother, Cedella Booker, and reggae legend Bob Marley. The author says her months spent in Nine Mile, St. Ann Parish, Jamaica, as a child felt normal at the time, though they were extraordinary by anyone’s standards. Those summers in Nine Mile inspired a vibrant cultural movement for children around the world. Booker’s “Grandma, What’s That?” children’s book series, toys, and newly launched travel experiences all embody her mission: to help the next generation understand, celebrate and feel connected to their Caribbean and African heritage.
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Booker started in events, music and media management with the previous Nine Mile Music Festival in Miami. She later launched Nine Mile Clothing after spending three months in Jamaica learning the market. Booker says she spoke to tourists in gift shops who kept asking where the merch was. She realized there was a demand, so she filled it. Parents then began asking about kids’ clothes, which sparked the idea for the first “Grandma, What’s That?” book.
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She is now working on more books in the series, including one in Trinidad, and “Grandma, What’s That? Countdown to Christmas,” due for release in October under a recent publishing deal with Akashic Books. In the following Q&A, Booker talks about those unique summers, the surprising reaction to her books, and the Nine Mile Babies movement.
This Q&A was edited for length and clarity.
At what moment did you know you were in a famous family?
“To be honest, I didn’t really realize it because it felt normal. I grew up watching my brother and cousins perform. I think it was only when I started my business that I truly understood the level of fame, as I was always working behind the scenes. I remember going to my grandma’s book signing for Bob Marley in London. She stayed with my mother and me, but to me she was just Grandma.”
Where is home now?
“My home is in the U.K., but to be honest, wherever I land. I spend a lot of time in Miami and Jamaica.”
Describe what summers were like when you would visit your family, especially your grandma, in Nine Mile?
“Grandma was the warmest person ever. All my grandparents were. She was a true Jamaican soul. We would go mango picking very early in the morning and do school shopping together. I started travelling to Miami by myself from the age of 7 to visit her. She made sure I was there every year for her birthday, and there was always carrot cake, my favorite. As I got older, it made me realize what a blessing it is to have grandparents in your life.”
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When did you start Nine Mile Babies and what was the defining moment that sparked the idea?
“Nine Mile Babies officially launched in April 2023. I wrote my first book, “Grandma What’s That? Nine Mile, Jamaica,” during lockdown. I didn’t write it because I wanted to be an author, but because parents started asking for children’s clothing. That made me think differently, and I came up with the idea of creating characters inspired by my siblings, my grandma and myself.
“I love that all my siblings are different shades of melanin, which I felt could connect with many children.”
A few months later, I decided to create a soft toy of my character, Prinny Pie, and then went on to develop the rest of the characters. I spent a whole year doing pop-ups in London with my book and toys, and that’s when people started asking, “When is your next book coming out?” That’s when I wrote “Grandma What’s That? Barbados,” as my mother is from Barbados, and I grew up with Bajan grandparents. The stories I write, so far, are based on my life experiences. Jamaica is me. Barbados is me.
I’m from west London, so I grew up going to Notting Hill Carnival every year. I wrote about Carnival because I was never taught why it exists, so I wanted to educate children in a simple way about its importance. (Booker’s series also includes Saint Lucia and Nigeria.)”
Has any reaction surprised you from kids who read the books or play with the dolls?
” Oh my gosh, yes! I remember when I first released the books and someone ordered 50 copies because they run an orphanage in Kenya. They sent me a video of the children reading my books, and it made me cry. What was so special was seeing two worlds come together. That, to me, is the human side of everything.”
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Nine Mile Babies hosted the first children’s programming this past October on the Jamrock Reggae Cruise. What was the response?
“First of all, thank you to Reggae Cruise and thank you, Damian [Marley]. It was an amazing experience. You’re on a cruise and you don’t really know if people will turn up, so when parents and children started coming in, I was genuinely shocked. People were already familiar with the brand and were telling me how much they loved the brand and the stories.”
Nine Mile Babies is really a movement. Not only do you produce books and toys, but you make visits and curate travel experiences. What’s your goal in reaching the younger generation?
“I’m very passionate about cultural education, and I grew up listening to so many stories from my grandparents. Alongside this, I’ve always loved to travel. I’ve been travelling from a young age and always wanted to start a travel company, but when lockdown happened, that dream was put on pause. I soon realized that the desire to create a travel company never left me.
That’s how Nine Mile Babies Travel was born. It links culture directly to my books. I want children to experience what I experienced with my grandma. When people go to Jamaica, they often focus on the main tourist attractions, but I want children to be able to pick mangoes, feed a donkey, and experience real island life. Those are the journeys I want to create.”
To learn more, visit ninemilebabies.com
